Lighting Principles and Techniques Flashcards

What effect does adding a grid (honeycomb) to a softbox or beauty dish have on the light?

Answer: It narrows and focuses the light, reducing spill onto surrounding areas

A grid narrows the beam angle of light from a modifier, controlling where the light falls and preventing unwanted spill onto backgrounds or other subjects.

During 'blue hour' photography, what unique lighting condition exists that makes it popular for architectural and cityscape shoots?

Answer: The sky provides a deep blue ambient light that balances closely with artificial building lights in exposure

Blue hour occurs just after sunset (or before sunrise) when the sky produces a cool blue ambient light whose brightness is close to artificial building lights, allowing both to be exposed well simultaneously.

What is 'fill light' and what is its primary function in a portrait lighting setup?

Answer: A secondary light that reduces shadows created by the key light without eliminating them entirely

Fill light is a secondary, less powerful light source used to reduce but not eliminate the shadows created by the key light, controlling the overall contrast ratio of the portrait.

A photographer is shooting a glass product on a black background and getting unwanted reflections on the glass surface. Which technique best minimizes this problem?

Answer: Using a polarizing filter on the camera lens and rotating it to reduce specular reflections

A circular polarizing filter, when rotated to the correct angle, suppresses specular reflections on non-metallic surfaces like glass, dramatically reducing unwanted glare.

What does 'flat lighting' refer to in portrait photography?

Answer: Lighting that comes from directly behind the camera, minimizing shadows and creating even, dimensionless illumination

Flat lighting positions the light source near the camera axis so that little to no shadow falls on the subject, producing even but dimensionless illumination that minimizes skin texture.

When using off-camera flash outdoors to balance with bright sunlight, what camera setting most directly controls the ambient (sunlight) exposure without affecting the flash exposure?

Answer: Shutter speed (up to sync speed limit)

Shutter speed controls how much ambient light reaches the sensor without affecting flash exposure (since flash duration is very short), making it the primary tool for balancing flash with bright sunlight.

What is 'light wrapping' in composite photography and retouching?

Answer: A post-processing technique where background light appears to softly bleed around the edges of a composited subject for realism

Light wrapping in compositing blends the background's bright areas into the edges of the subject layer, simulating how environmental light would naturally reflect and scatter around a real subject in that scene.